YREKA – When citizens walk into the Yreka Community Resource Center (YCRC) to receive a referral or utilize one of its many services, they are more than likely to be greeted by an AmeriCorps volunteer – a public servant committed to helping others in the community.

March 9-17 is National AmeriCorps Week, a recruitment and recognition period to highlight AmeriCorps’ impact on local communities. YCRC Executive Director Michelle O’Gorman stated that this is a special time of year for her as she reflects on the positive impact AmeriCorps volunteers have had on the resource center and the community as a whole.

AmeriCorps is a national public service organization. Citizens may serve up to three terms doing anything from tutoring disadvantaged youth or working in a nonprofit organization to building affordable housing and embarking on environmental improvement projects.

Many are eligible to receive a modest living allowance funded at the state and federal level during their terms. At the end of their terms, which are usually 11 to 12 months, AmeriCorps volunteers receive an educational stipend which they may spend on future education costs or to pay off student loans. Many AmeriCorps volunteers are eligible for health insurance benefits and free child care during their terms.

A total of 12 AmeriCorps volunteers serve in Siskiyou County’s community resource centers and several others serve in local schools and various community service projects.

Currently, two state/national AmeriCorps (11-month service period) volunteers and one AmeriCorps Vista (12-month service period) volunteer are serving at the YCRC.

“AmeriCorps volunteers are a huge asset to our community,” said O’Gorman. “Basically, they provide the day-to-day services, they collaborate with local agencies and build partnerships in our community and they promote volunteerism. I love the AmeriCorps program.”

AmeriCorps volunteers Florrine Super, Lindsie Todd and Alicia Solitaire say their service experiences at the YCRC have been rewarding, and they are gaining valuable experience to help them on their career paths in the human services field.

Solitaire, who aspires to become a social worker, is an Americorps Vista volunteer and she is serving a one-year term. The 23-year-old woman said she moved to California from Kentucky with little more than the clothes on her back to serve her AmeriCorps term in Yreka.

Her modest AmeriCorps living stipend puts her at the poverty level, which she said helps her relate to many of the individuals she serves at the YCRC.

“I have to figure out ways to make every dollar stretch,” Solitaire stated. “I am learning how to live on a modest salary and it puts things into perspective when I help people in need. It is teaching me to be more resourceful.”

Reflecting on her move to California, Solitaire recalled, “When I moved here I had to network, meet people and figure out how to pull myself up.”

Page 2 of 3 - Solitaire became an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer last December, and she said since she started, her public speaking skills have improved, she has gained experience overseeing volunteers and she is learning the ins and outs of bookkeeping, grant writing and general fundraising.

“I love my job,” said Solitaire. “I love to see people access resources and be successful.”

Lindsie Todd, who began her AmeriCorps term at the YCRC last November, said she grew up in Yreka and she is gaining valuable experience while serving in her own community. Her central focus at the resource center is family case management.

Todd said she felt inspired to become a social worker when she worked at Goodwill and with adults who have developmental disabilities. During that period, she said she observed how difficult it is for people to navigate agencies to access resources and she wanted to be in a position to help them get the help they need.

“This experience has been a huge eye opener,” commented Todd, referring to the poverty-level living conditions of many community members.

YCRC AmeriCorps volunteer Florrine Super, who does family case management, including home visits as well as volunteer coordination duties, said she, too, grew up in Yreka and she wanted to serve “where her heart is.”

Super holds an associate’s degree. Prior to her AmeriCorps term, she held an elected position as a Karuk Tribe council member, during which she worked with a number of families in the community.

“It is my passion to help kids be healthy and be able to survive in this world,” said Super. “I love having the opportunity to help families.”

Super also teaches the traditional Karuk language in the local schools – another example of AmeriCorps volunteers’ commitment to community collaboration.

The county’s community resource centers are run on a limited budget and Super pointed out that AmeriCorps volunteers’ stipends are paid at the state and federal level. Therefore, AmeriCorps living stipends do not impact the resource center budgets. She said this is a significant component of AmeriCorps’ contributions, considering its volunteers often run the day-to-day operations at the resource centers.

Since Todd, Super and Solitaire began their terms at the YCRC, they have implemented a new women’s support group in Yreka and they will hold a women’s retreat in the near future. They are in the process of starting a new cultural activity group and they plan to start youth field trips to educate children about local history. They are hosting a job search workshop, and they provide childcare for the school district’s parent outreach program. In addition, the three women have collaborated with local agencies to promote healthful eating habits in the community.

Page 3 of 3 - “We each bring our personal strengths to everything that we do and we are in the position now to use our strengths,” said Super.

O’Gorman commented that over the years, she has seen many AmeriCorps volunteers work their way into full-time career positions with local agencies upon completion of their terms.

“Our volunteers do awesome work for us and we sure appreciate them,” she stated.

O’Gorman noted that the Mount Shasta Community Resource Center is currently recruiting an AmeriCorps volunteer and she hopes that local people will consider applying to the program for an opportunity to serve their community.